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Ease of Use (e.g., ability to use the knife right out of the box; smoother rock chopping, push cutting, or slicing motion; less wedging; better food release; less reactivity with food; easier to sharpen)?

Edge Retention (i.e., length of time you want the edge to last without sharpening)?
Good retention but I can sharpen and strop

KNIFE MAINTENANCE
Epicurean. And walnut Boardsmith

Do you sharpen your own knives?
I'm learning and have Dave's stones and DVDs

If not, are you interested in learning how to sharpen your knives? (Yes or no.)

Are you interested in purchasing sharpening products for your knives? (Yes or no.)

SPECIAL REQUESTS/COMMENTS

I've been looking at the Kochi 150mm kurouchi and Gesshin Ginga. My gyuto is a Ginga, so I kinda wanted something different.

Thanks! Jon said the kochi is thicker at the spine than the Gesshin. My other question is what benefit does the flat spot on the Kochi near the heel offer? Would it get in the way when trimming and breaking down fat and poultry?

Since you are looking to buy from Jon I'd like to throw this out there. Jon has a knife from Zakuri called a sabaki bocho. It is a boning knife. Double bevel. I have one in 150mm and 105mm. I know Jon carries the 150. Not sure about the 105. These knives have to be amongst the most versatile knives I've ever owned. The profile is somewhat generic in the sense that it could easily be used in the place of other knives; santoku, funayuki and tosagata to name a few. I use the sabaki for every kitchen task that is appropriate for its size. Utility, chopping, slicing, whatever. The fact that it is a boning knife also gives it the ability to do other tasks like taking apart a whole chicken. I use mine a lot for cutting into hard cheese. The extra little heft along the spine make it great for these types of things. Anyway...just a thought.

Speaking frankly Zakuris aren't super sharp out of the box. I can't say if Jon sharpens them before shipping. That being said they are blue steel and can take a very nice edge. Retention is very good. Because I use them as a multi-purpose tools I sharpen them for this purpose. Not as sharp as they can be but robust enough to avoid damage during heavier use. Even at this they are very sharp. From my experience Zakiri really knows how to work with blue steel.

I have a Zakuri (blue 1) and it takes a great edge. If you are worried about it, ask Jon to sharpen it first. As to the Kochi, the V2 kurouchi gyuto I had took a crazy edge and I really thought it was a great knife. In my experience, the blue 1 Zakuri can be a bit more likely to chip than the Kochi.

Cheers!

once in a while you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right

I just want to say that I was on a very similar track recently (just more focused on boning part) and ordered (well, the order is about to be committed) the already mentioned Zakuri Sabaki Bocho from Jon I find the shape of the blade (wider and bit thicker than petty with handle and edge not being parallel and the tip sharp, but strong) very interesting.

If you're looking at the wider Zakuri, would a narrower 180mm wa-gyuto be within a reasonable size? As with many folks, my first criterion (when I didn't know better) for knives was the steel. Now it's the geometry.